


A Tale As Old As Time

by krylla_bee



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Astronomical Inaccuracies, Disney References, F/F, F/M, HP: EWE, M/M, Parvender, Werewolf!Lavender, and that in both meanings of the word, he holds a book once, i just want these two to be gay, i know the potion isn't very complex i just wanted to write two girls being in love, just don't google the astronomical twilight of September '98, padma and terry are hogwart's power couple fight me on this, sneaky crime, sneaky crush, terry boot is mentioned like twice in this, two dense girls in love, unlikely friends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-05
Updated: 2017-10-27
Packaged: 2019-01-09 10:55:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12274956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/krylla_bee/pseuds/krylla_bee
Summary: Things don’t look good when Professor McGonnagall tells Parvati that Lavender’s Wolfsbane Potion supplier has died. With Slughorn unable to brew the potion, Parvati takes it onto herself to figure things out. That’s what best friends are for, right?With an unlikely companion in tow, Parvati is ready to break the rules to help Lavender – and maybe even win her heart in the process.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi and welcome to my second fanfiction here on ao3!  
> I'm so excited to share this story with you! I've been working on it for months now, at first as a distraction finals hell but now because I've become deeply invested in the story of Parvati and Lavender! 
> 
> Updates will come every Thursday! 
> 
> I know, canonically, Parvati did not continue Potions on a NEWT level but for the sake of this fic, let’s all just ignore that fact. (I’m not even going to mention that Harry does not return to Hogwarts after the war nor that Lavender is technically dead, psst).  
> Have fun!

Summer was going to an end but it still had a strong grip on the early days of September.  
Parvati made use of this year’s final warm days by milling around on the grounds with her friends in the late afternoon sun. Though they were not the only ones who had that idea; several small groups of students were scattered in the soft grass around the lake, desperate to soak in the last bits of warmth and sunlight before turned into a dark and bleak winter.

It was a pity that Lavender hadn’t been in the mood to join them. Ever since Fenrir’s attack, she hadn’t been very comfortable being around groups of people. Still, Lavender had decided to join Parvati for their final year at Hogwarts. It might be selfish but Parvati was grateful to have her best friend with her. Yet she could not deny the guilt she was feeling when she saw how Lavender was treated by some of their fellow students. The few 8th-Year students who knew about her either treated her like a bomb about to go off or tried to avoid her altogether. Being around them in class seemed to use up all of Lavender’s energy.

So Parvati found herself reading – more like third-wheeling her sister and her boyfriend - alone on one of the last sunny days of the year.The two had just gotten into a fierce discussion of the Wimbourne Wasps’ latest loss against the Holyhead Harpies; a battle that brought a small smile to Parvati’s lips. Padma was taking apart the Wasps’ pitiful defense bit by bit while Terry desperately fought tooth and nail to defend their honor.

For Parvati, Quidditch had taken on a somewhat sour aftertaste after hearing Lavender go on about Ron’s abilities as a keeper for hours on end (she had always wondered if Lavender might have used it as a euphemism) but she still found joy in hearing her friends bicker about their favourite teams.

Suddenly, a sharp cough behind their backs made them startle. None of them had noticed being approached. They turned their heads only to be greeted by Professor McGonnagall’s stern face. Anxiety made its way through Parvati’s core. Had something bad happened? To her family? Or Lavender? Padma and Terry sported equally nervous expressions.

But Professor McGonnagall wouldn’t remain so calm had something truly bad happened, would she? But no other explanation came to her mind.

“A word, Miss Patil?” Professor McGonnagall said, though not unkindly.

Parvati felt the eyes of her friends fixate on her. She kept her eyes focused on her teacher’s face, trying to find a hint about the reason of her visit. But she came up blank. She nodded quickly before closing her novel and handing it to Terry.

“See you later,” she said to her friends before turning to her professor.

Professor McGonnagall began walking without hesitation, indicating for Parvati to follow her closer to the castle. She didn’t stop until they stood in the shadows of the old Quidditch shed. The wooden hut looked like it was about to fall apart; the wood rotten and covered in moss. Why it hadn’t been teared down or renovated, Parvati didn’t know.

“Miss Patil,” Professor McGonnagall was watching her over the rim of her glasses. “How is Miss Brown at the moment?”

The question caught Parvati by surprise. A million things her teacher could tell her had gone through her head but her enquiring about Lavender’s health wasn’t one of them. A startled laugh almost slipped from her lips when the full ridiculousness of the situation hit her.  
Her teacher led her to a private part of the Hogwarts grounds to ask her about her best friend’s health. Though somewhat warmed by Professor McGonnagall’s obvious concern about Lavender, it didn’t feel right to talk about her behind her back. Especially because hiding behind an old shed made it feel like they were talking about something illegal or wrong and _not_ an eighteen-year-old girl.

“Fine” was what she settled for eventually.

Professor McGonnagall raised an eyebrow but did not comment on her curtness. Her stern eyes studied Parvati for several seconds. It took an unexpectedly big effort to hold her gaze steadily and Parvati was glad when her grey eyes lost intensity.

“Very well,” Professor McGonnagall said at last. “I have … unfortunate news, Miss Patil, and I found it best if it was a close friend who would relate them to Miss Brown rather than her teacher.”

A tight knot of worry formed in Parvati’s stomach. What was going on? What kind of news were this that Professor McGonnagall did not want to convey them herself? And why was she so secretive about it? Was it about … Lavender?

“What is going on?” Parvati asked.

“An owl reached me this morning,” Professor McGonnagall lowered her voice, even though no one else was around. Parvati involuntarily leaned forward. “I was informed that Theodosius Brookridge has died last night. A potion accident as it seems, although the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol is still examining the scene. I’m sorry, Miss Patil, but without him, we do not have a secured access to Wolfbane potion anymore.”

Oh.

It was like radio silence in Parvati’s mind while she was trying to process the news. After the Battle of Hogwarts, the teachers as well as the St. Mungo’s staff had made an effort to find a reliable potion maker who would support Lavender with the much-needed potion. But only few could be interested in the endeavour and even less were willing to do it for a fraction of its normal price. The truth was that Lavender simply wasn’t able to pay the ridiculously high charge for seven vials a month.

No werewolf could afford them. Anger formed a tight knot in Parvati’s stomach when she thought about the injustice of a society not only shunning these people by denying them honest work but restricting their access to the very potion that would help them by offering it at astronomical prices.

Parvati knew that Snape had prepared the potion for free under Dumbledore’s orders.  
Slughorn, as he himself had assured them, would do the same, hadn’t a curse rendered his hands almost useless during the Battle. He couldn’t take the risk of brewing a potion that relied so much on precision and detail. Dread crept through Parvati like poison when she realized that they were left with such limited options.

“What will happen now?” Her voice sounded hollow.

“Be assured that we – the school – will not give up on her,” Professor McGonnagall fixated Parvati with a hard stare. “Things have already been set into motion. As soon as we part, I will prepare letters to be sent to potion masters all over the continent – and beyond if I have to. We will put all our efforts in securing Miss Brown’s stay and continuing education at Hogwarts.”

Professor McGonnagall’s surprisingly heartfelt speech helped Parvati breathe a little lighter. It was reassuring to her that Hogwarts’s staff was on Lavender’s side. It didn’t solve the problem that Lavender needed to take the potion in less than three weeks, though. They had nineteen days to come up with a solution – Parvati wouldn’t let any of them go to waste. She knew what she had to do.

“Don’t worry, Professor,” Parvati returned her teacher’s stare just as intensely. “So will I.”

Professor McGonnagall kept her eyes trained on Parvati for a moment before giving her a curt nod.

“There has to be a benevolent soul out there – and by Merlin, we will find them.”


	2. Chapter 2

They had not talked much afterwards. All Professor McGonnagall had asked her was to keep the information between Lavender and herself for the moment.  
The last thing Hogwarts’s staff needed right now was concerned parents knocking down their doors when they learned that a werewolf was on the loose. But telling none of the other students was hardly an issue.

Telling Lavender however, was something else entirely. Parvati couldn’t come up with a single way to break the news gently to her. Lost in her thoughts, she went straight for the Gryffindor common room.

 _No use in waiting_ , she told herself.

The earlier Lavender knew about Brookridge’s death, the quicker Parvati could start searching for a solution. But before she could climb the stairs towards the seventh floor, two students clad in Ravenclaw colours caught her eyes.

Padma and Terry were standing on the landing before the Great Staircase, probably hoping for Parvati to come this way.  
She groaned inwardly. She had been so focused on Lavender that she had completely forgotten to tell her them that she was returning to the common room. So much for keeping a low profile.

Terry, who was quite a bit taller than his girlfriend and could easily look over the heads of the few students that were milling around the hall, noticed her as soon as she stepped out of the shadows of the entrance area. He raised his hand to greet her, his other – as she realized much to her own shame – was still holding her novel.

Parvati felt a pang of guilt for forgetting about them. Acting so carelessly didn’t seem like her at all. The feeling of guilt only increased when she thought about the lie she was about to tell them.  
The two Ravenclaw students had their brows furrowed, probably dying to know what McGonnagall had wanted to speak to her about.  
Did they figure out that they had talked about Lavender? Her insides squirmed with discomfort.

She really didn’t want to talk to them about Brookridge’s death or the failure to find any other willing potion master. Especially not behind Lavender’s back. She loved Padma and Terry but she felt like this was a line she couldn’t cross.

As she approached the couple, she tried her best to look appropriately rueful about forgetting them.

“I’m sorry, guys, I should have –,” she began but was quickly interrupted by her sister.

“Is everything alright, Parvati? Has something happened?”

“Can we help you?” Terry added, his forehead furrowed in sorrow.

Seeing their genuine worry made Parvati feel even worse.

“No, no, nothing has happened,” she reassured them as quickly as she could. “Everything’s alright.”  
They exhaled in relief before sharing a quick glance.

“But then, why did she single you out earlier?” Padma asked her.

“It’s, um, -,” she hated herself for lying to them but it was the only thing she could think of that still had some truth and ended stopped them from asking many questions. “McGonnagall was just wondering how Lavender was feeling after this full moon. She doesn’t really talk, so she hoped to get some info from me.”

That shut down the conversation effectively.

Terry and Padma nodded awkwardly, not quite sure what to reply. The full moon a few days ago had been the first one they had spent in Lavender’s presence since the battle. Seeing her getting worse day by day had made them a little awkward around her. Especially since Madame Pomfrey’s checkup, they were treating Lavender with kid gloves. Needlessly to say that she wasn’t very amused.

“She’s doing okay, isn’t she?” Terry asked her.

“Alright, I think. I actually just wanted to go up and check on her,” Parvati nodded towards the stairs behind the two.

“Of course!” he nodded eagerly and stepped aside. “She’ll be happy to see you, I’m sure. I’m glad she has a friend like you, Parvati.”  
She couldn’t help but smile at his words. Terry was a sweet guy and she really couldn’t think of a better boyfriend for her sister.  
Though, she strongly doubted that Lavender would feel anything near happiness when she saw Parvati with the news she was about to tell her.

“Thanks, Terry,” she said. “I better get going now.”

“Of course,” Padma gave her a quick hug. “See you tomorrow!”

Terry repeated Padma’s goodbye and handed Parvati her book. When she reached the first landing, Parvati took a second to turn around and watch the two of them leave hand in hand.  
A sigh escaped her lips. Terry and Padma fit together so perfectly, Parvati would be surprised if they didn’t end up getting married. It hadn’t taken much for them to get together during their fourth year after playing messenger and exchanging ridiculously cheesy love letters between them.

Parvati just wished that her own affections could be resolved just as easily with bad poetry. Maybe she could ask Ginny to help a girl out. She snorted.

With these thoughts, she ascended the final stairs to the Gryffindor common room (the password was porcupine quills) and made her way to the 8th Year girls’ dormitory.  
As she opened the old wooden door, which creaked so loudly, it informed not only Lavender but the whole Gryffindor tower of her arrival, she banned the thoughts to the back of her mind.

Maybe one day her dreams could become reality, maybe in another life. Now and here, Lavender needed her as her friend, who supported her during this tumultuous time. She closed the door carefully, grimacing at the noise the hinges were making.

The room looked just like she had left it hours earlier. The curtains of every bed were pulled back, except for Lavender’s. Hers were still firmly shut. A small island of seclusion that stood in stark contrast with the rest of the dormitory. The sunset’s reddish light flooded the room with warmth; the red and gold drapery only increasing the image of a small but cozy nest. Parvati loved how autumn’s evenings made Hogwarts look. She loved the castle like a home; a home she would dearly miss next summer.

“Lavender?” Parvati stepped closer to her best friend’s bed and knocked gently at the heavy trunk that was placed in front of it. “Lavender, are you awake?”

Over the last few days, Lavender had used almost every free minute to get some sleep. The full moon was wrecking her sleep pattern as always, even four days later. At least, it was a Saturday tomorrow – she wouldn’t have to worry about getting up early or staying awake during class.

Parvati slowly parted the heavy dark red curtains and peeked into Lavender’s nook.

A smile formed on her lips. Lavender was sleeping atop of her blankets with her legs pulled close to her body and her hands folded beneath her head. Her face was encompassed by her thick blonde hair. Parvati could count every freckle that was dusted upon her cheeks and the bridge of her nose.

A sudden urge to caress Lavender’s cheek came over her. Parvati wanted her to look like this every day; carefree and without a burden. Girls like Lavender were made for laughter and summer days; not tears and sorrow.

Only reluctantly, Parvati shook her awake.  
Right on cue, Lavender jolted awake, her eyes wide and alert. Her eyes darted across the room in rapid motion before settling on Parvati. She could see the tension drain out of Lavender’s frame as she recognized her.

“It’s just me,” she said belatedly.

“Parvati,” Lavender sighed. “What’s the matter?”

“Can I come in?” Parvati asked instead, nodding at her bed.  
Although with furrowed brows, Lavender moved to make some room for her. Resting her head on her tucked-up legs, Lavender watched Parvati climb into her nest of blankets out of her deep brown eyes. Parvati yanked the curtains shut again to give them the semblance of privacy. The sun falling throw the fabric was tinting the small space in a dark red colour.

Parvati’s heart was racing from the intensity and intimacy of the situation. She desperately hoped that Lavender’s heightened senses as a werewolf did not carry over to her human form and that she was oblivious to the way her heart pounded in her chest.

“Has something happened, Parvati?” Lavender asked.  
Remembering her message brought Parvati back down to earth – and got her nervous for entirely different reasons. She took a deep breath.

“Professor McGonnagall talked to me earlier. She – she’s received an owl from the South. Bad news.”

“South?” Lavender asked in confusion.

Parvati couldn’t come up with a single way to rely the news gently to her. She clasped her hands together in her lap.

“Lavender, Mr. Brookridge has died last night.”

She froze. Several moments passed until she opened her mouth.

“How?”

“Potion accident, they say. McGonnagall asked me to tell you.”

“Fuck,” Lavender pressed out. “That’s – not good.”

For a moment, Parvati was relieved that Lavender remained her calm. But then her eyes caught on Lavender’s hands, her fingers digging into her shins and the knuckles clearly visible through the strained white skin.

“What else did Professor McGonnagall say? What am I supposed to do?” Lavender’s voice broke a little.

Parvati quickly moved forward and grabbed Lavender’s hands.

“Listen, Lavender, don’t doubt that the staff will give anything they can to solve this mess. McGonnagall told me herself that she would leave no stone unturned until we find another potion master. And I’ll be with you every step of the way. In good times and bad, remember?”

Lavender smiled a watery smile in response.

“Do you really think they’ll find someone else? Even Brookridge took days of convincing until he agreed.”

“I promise you, we’ll find a solution. Even if I will have to force on of those old sods to brew the potion at wandpoint,” Parvati said heatedly.

She had never been aware how deep the prejudice about werewolves ran in their society before she experienced how people treated Lavender.  
Nobody saw her as the eighteen-year-old who had almost lost her life in the battle against Voldemort’s army, who volunteered to rebuilt the castle during summer, who was brave enough to return to the place where she had been attacked. All they saw was some untameable monster, too far gone to be controlled.

But then, if they were so afraid of her losing control, why did they deny her the potion that gave her control back in the first place?  
Parvati did not understand how Lavender could take it without the blink of an eye. All Parvati wanted to do was scream and shake them and get them to open their eyes.  
And if it wasn’t them who helped Lavender, then Parvati would. An idea began forming in her mind.

“You would probably give them a heart attack, Parvati,” Lavender replied.

“Oh, if they’ve survived getting howlers sent to their houses first thing in the morning, they’ll survive some gentle intimidation,” she grinned. “Merlin, I wish I had been there when Willerson got that howler from Madame Pomfrey,” Parvati giggled.

“Or when he got the one from Professor Flitwick the day after,” Lavender added, sniffling a little. “I never knew that he knew such words.”

“Or when Ginny sent that bloody Todd a dozen dungbombs after he insulted you in his final letter,” Parvati said. Lavender forgot her sorrow for one moment. Her eyes became big as plates.

“Oh Merlin,” she said. “How could I forget that one?”

“See?” Parvati said. “We all got your back, love. We’ll do anything we can to get you out of this mess. I will find a way out.”  
Lavender smiled at that pronouncement, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Even if Lavender didn’t believe her, Parvati meant it. She’d do anything to help Lavender.

“Come here.” Parvati shuffled closer to Lavender, so that she fit right between her legs, Parvati’s thighs on each of her sides.  
Without hesitation, Lavender leaned into Parvati, pressing her pulled-up legs against Parvati’s thigh and burrowing her head beneath her chin. She wrapped her arms tightly around Lavender’s frame before pressing her lips gently atop her blonde hair. Despite herself, she felt her heart beat a little faster when her mouth touched Lavender’s hair.  
They did not speak or move for a while, the only motion coming from Parvati’s hands drawing soothing circles on Lavender’s back.

“Fuck,” Lavender whispered eventually.  
She could feel the wetness of Lavender’s tears on her neck but did not comment. Instead she tightened her grip on her friend and let her cry.

She rested her cheek on Lavender’s head.  
“I’ll find a way, Lavender. I promise,” she whispered into her soft hair.

Too long had she waited for someone to help her, had she relied on someone to save her.  
It was time she took matters into her own hands.


	3. Chapter 3

 Frustration grew in her.   
What had seemed so easy when she first came up with the idea last night turned out to be a lot more difficult. Finding the potion recipe hadn’t been the issue. It was neither lethal nor poisonous and therefore easily accessible in the library (although, as it turned out, brewing the potion was indeed illegal to brew if you had no extensive schooling in the subject.   
Parvati’s real problem was understanding it. She had been sitting here the majority of this Saturday afternoon, head bent over what felt like dozens of scrolls and tomes.

She leaned back and rubbed her eyes. They were burning uncomfortably but Parvati was not ready to call it a day yet. She wanted to make at least some kind of progress before returning to her dorm. If the recipe just wasn’t so complex…

She hardly understood a word from Damocles Belby’s complicated instructions. There were too many intricate stirring sequences, too many spells to be spoken (or not spoken, she had to realize with growing horror) at the right moment.   
Doubt had settled in her chest like a dead weight early in the afternoon. Was it even worth trying when so few potion makers were able to master it?

 _Yes_ , she told herself, sitting back up. Lavender was worth it. Because even if there was only a one percent chance of succeeding, Parvati would give everything to prove those remaining 99% wrong.   
She thought of Lavender’s tears on her skin, the way she had curled up into herself while leaning against Parvati. Had that really only been yesterday? Lavender’s deflated and empty stare with which she had watched Parvati and the rest of the world this morning seemed to be ages old, like there had never been any kind of recovery over the last months. So much progress gone within minutes.

Parvati had tried to tell Lavender that she was going to the library earlier but her best friend had completely blocked that conversation. Parvati doubted that Professor McGonnagall would have any more luck than her today. She wondered if their meeting was already over by now.

She looked around in the almost-empty library, trying to find any indication of the time. Craning her neck, she could see the pale moon contesting with the setting sun.

Thank Merlin dinner was served later than usual on the weekend, otherwise she’d have probably worked straight through it.

The only remaining students were two overzealous first-years in the front corner near Madame Pince’s desk and – oh.  
Draco Malfoy was staring at her. She hadn’t even noticed him sitting to her right, only a few tables over. Books were propped open on his desk and he looked just as exhausted as she felt – but that did not matter because he was still staring at her.

His eyes slid over the multitude of parchment on her small table before settling on her again. She frowned at him with her eyebrows raised as to ask him what the hell he wanted but he didn’t react. Instead he just continued contemplating her, unperturbed. She didn’t know if she should be confused or irritated. Or both.

They kept staring at each other for a few moments; her eyes narrowed, his glinting with amusement.

It was almost like Malfoy knew how fruitless her research had been so far and he saw her failure as his very own source of amusement. She wondered for how long exactly he had been watching her before she had noticed. But Parvati had had enough crap to deal with in the last 24 hours, she didn’t need Malfoy being a little shit on top of that. She was done with his games.

“Fuck off,” she whispered at him aggressively.

It only irritated her further when he simply shrugged and turned back to his work without even batting an eye. She kept watching him for a few moments longer but he did not look up again.

Parvati had not the faintest clue what to think about the strange exchange.

 

~ ** ~

 

The next day started off on a lighter note.   
Despite Parvati’s doubts, Professor McGonnagall’s private talk with Lavender seemed to have reassured Lavender a little. Her dark features had been ashen but were now full of colour once again. The others still regarded them with confused glances but neither Lavender nor Parvati cared to explain Lavender’s strange behaviour of the day before. Lavender’s demeanour was still lukewarm at best, but at least she wasn’t walking around like a zombie anymore.

Though Parvati had had many opportunities this morning, she had decided not to tell Lavender of her plan. She knew she had to tell her eventually but for now, she would keep trying to brew the Wolfsbane potion a secret. Besides, who knew if Parvati would even succeed. To raise Lavender’s hopes only to crush them in the end was the last thing she wanted.

And that’s why she found herself heading straight for the library after finishing (more like inhaling) her breakfast. The large hall was almost completely deserted, most students either sleeping or at breakfast.  
Yet, she was not the only Gryffindor looking for some academic enlightenment. Harry was just leaving the library when she arrived at the great wooden doors. Though they had never been very close throughout their six mutual years at Hogwarts, a quiet kind of friendship had blossomed after spending the summer together with working on the castle’s rebuilding.

Admittedly, their Yule Ball date had been a teenage disaster but as long as neither of them spoke at it, things weren’t awkward.

Parvati and Harry exchanged only a few quick words, but it was enough to remind her how much she enjoyed spending time with him. Despite what he went through over the years, there was a calmness about him that she had come to appreciate. Their short conversation calmed her frying nerves and made her breathe a little easier.

He hugged her goodbye shortly after, though, saying that Ron and Hermione were waiting for him at breakfast.

As Parvati made her way from the entrance to the study area (in a much lighter mood than when she first stepped into the room), she found Malfoy staring at her again. Great. She couldn’t wait for him to mock her from afar for another afternoon.

To her surprise however, he was not sneering but had his eyebrows pulled together into a displeased frown. Hadn’t she known any better she’d say he was sulking. It didn’t matter, though. Whatever had rubbed him the wrong way wasn’t her problem.

Without missing a beat, she began collecting books from various shelves before sitting down with her back towards him.

It was however, her problem to finally make sense of at least one of the three charms that she’d have to perform on the potion. She randomly chose a book from her ever-growing heap and delved into it with a sigh.

 

~ ** ~

 

She had been staring at the same passage of Achievements of 20th Century Potion Masters for at least ten minutes, when a sudden presence behind her made her jolt up. Her hand itched towards her wand when a familiar posh voice spoke up.

“A little jumpy today, aren’t we, Patil?” Malfoy drawled.

Parvati flew around, ready to throw her the heaviest book she could get hold of at his head.

“What’s your problem, Malfoy?” She tried to cover up her notes before Malfoy got a good look at them but it was no use. With a dull thud, he put down his hand right atop of the potion’s recipe.

“I don’t think I’m the one with a problem, Patil,” he replied. Parvati exhaled deeply, trying to let go of her anger. And to say that she had already hoped Malfoy was in a too sour of a mood to bother her today.

“Listen, Malfoy, I don’t know what the fuck your problem is or why I’ve been number one on your shit list for the last days but -,”

“Patil,” he interrupted her. “I’m here to offer my help.”   
Those were probably the last word Parvati had ever expected to come out of Malfoy’s mouth.

“You – what? Your help?” She repeated, completely at loss for words. Had she gotten up on the wrong side of the bed today? Or had Malfoy been hit by a Confundus? Had she been hit by one?

“You’re offering…your help,” she repeated.

“Yes,” he said slowly, as if he was talking to a child. “My help. With the potion.”

She tensed. How had he figured it out? Or more importantly: would others as well?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she lied.

Malfoy rolled his eyes.

“Merlin, you’re not as inconspicuous as you think you are. It really takes no genius to figure out what you’re trying to do,” he cast a look at her untidy scribble on her scrawls. “The operative word is trying, though.”

“Alright, you’ve had your fun, could you piss off now?” He ignored her. “One of the best potion brewers in the country dies and the next day you show up at the library like an overzealous first year. Slughorn is obviously incapable of brewing it himself after what happened in May. The only logical conclusion is that you took it onto yourself to brew the Wolfsbane potion.”

“Shhh,” she hissed, grabbing his arm and forcing him into the seat next to her. A fifth-year Ravenclaw was sitting only a couple of desks away and was watching them with worry. Parvati forced herself to smile at her to convince her that she was fine. Only when the girl returned to her studies, did Parvati turn back her attention to Malfoy.

“How do you know about Brookridge’s death?” Ridiculously unimportant but it was the first coherent question that came to her mind.

“Please, Patil, I keep up with the news. You should give it a try sometime. And before you ask, I heard you telling your sister’s boyfriend that you had to write a nine-inch essay for your Potions class, which is a lie, since I am part of said Potions class. That made your intentions pretty obvious.” 

Parvati shook her head, trying to get her thoughts straight.

“Why are you offering to help me? What’s in it for you?”

“Ah, just the usual. You and Brown being in my debt for the rest of your lives. Raising an army of werewolves. Compromising all goodness in the world. Nothing big.”

Parvati stared at him without understanding. What’s gotten into him? Had he been bitten by something?

“Is this some kind of sick joke to you, Malfoy? If you’re just here to make fun of Lavender, you can fuck right off.”

“I’m kidding, Patil. Merlin. I’m not doing this for some big evil plan of mine, before you start to worry about that,” he waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. “Listen, I have enough problems in my life already, I don’t need a bloody werewolf causing mayhem atop of that. I just want my peace. And you want to brew that potion. I can help you with that. You’ll need my knowledge of potions. What do you say?”   
His self-assured expression was the final straw. Parvati had heard enough.

“Don’t fucking flatter yourself, Malfoy. I don’t need your help.”

“I don’t flatter myself, Patil. I know I’m the best potions student at Hogwarts. Do you really think you are able to brew a potion that 80 percent of professional potion experts can’t do?” He raised his eyebrows.

“Do not belittle me, Malfoy,” Parvati hissed. “I don’t need. Your. Help,” she glowered at him.

“Merlin, why are you making this so difficult, Patil?” Malfoy said.

“Me? Difficult?” She snorted with anger. “Why should I even trust you? You and your friends were trying to kill us not even six months ago, in case you forgot. Who tells me this isn’t just another plan of yours to make someone’s life miserable? Have you forgotten your actions towards Hagrid? Or Hermione? Have you forgotten whose side you were on during the war?”   
She had talked herself into rage and seeing him flinch gave her an odd satisfaction.

“I will never forget that,” Malfoy said through clenched teeth. It did not escape Parvati that he pressed his left arm closer to his body.   
“And neither will the rest of you. So let me help. You know just as much as I do that you’ll fail if you try to do this on your own,” he regarded with a small smile and closed in for the kill. “You will fail your potion and Lavender. Think about it.”   
He leaned back in his seat, waiting for her to reply.

Parvati balled her hands into fists.Hadn’t they been in the middle of the library, Parvati would not have hesitated to slap him. His mockery and snide remarks, it made her blood boil. And then that pleased expression of his that Parvati would love to wipe the floor with. He couldn’t truly believe that she would agree to his proposition. For someone offering his help, he was trying hard to get the shit beaten out of him.

“I thought about it alright,” Parvati snarled and shoved her chair back. Malfoy stared at her in surprise. “And my answer is fuck you.”

She grabbed her notes, not bothering to return any of the books on her table. She had to get out of this room now.

She could do this on her own, she knew it. She just needed more bloody time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! :)   
> Sorry for not uploading on time, real life got in the way!   
> Have fun with the new chapter!

Things had not become any better after Parvati had left the library in a hurry on Sunday.   
She had returned to her dorm but had been unable to concentrate on anything that had even remotely to do with charms or potions. (Which was unfortunate, since she still had actual potions homework due for the week.)And even a day later, she seemed to be stuck in some kind of slump.

She had gone to the library right after class had ended, with the hope of getting as much as possible done before dinner.

However, it was just her luck that quite the opposite was the case. She was still struggling with Damocles Belby’s explanations of the charms, enough that she was ready to throw the book across the room to where Malfoy was sitting (Madame Pince would skin her alive most likely, though the satisfaction of seeing it hit his head would make it worth it).

With each passing minute, she grew more and more frustrated at her own incompetence and at Belby’s inability to write proper instructions. It was no surprise to Parvati that he had been denied the position of Potions Master at Hogwarts. His explanation skills sucked.

She needed to check cross-references of other books constantly to see if they explained certain methods and motions more clearly. Which was not always the case. How Snape had ever been able to figure out this clusterfuck was a mystery to Parvati.

She checked the time and only barely bit down a groan. This was not good.   
She was in desperate need of more time.

She was on the verge of breaking her own rules and questioning Hermione about Time-Turners. Hell, she was ready to steal one of those bloody things herself if she had to.

Then however, she remembered that all of them had been rendered useless after the battle in the Ministry a few years ago. Great.

She had wasted two more days with fruitless research, getting not even close to where she hoped she would be by now. In a fortnight, she would have to have finished the potion or else helplessly watch Lavender go through an uncontrolled transformation. But how was she supposed to do be finish it when every day brought another problem she couldn’t seem to solve?

Parvati let her head fall back and stared at the ceiling as if the answer was written there somewhere.

There must be a solution, must be a way -

Her eyes fell on Malfoy.

He was sitting at the same table as the past two days, completely absorbed in whatever he was reading. Parvati took that moment to study him openly. She had not given it much thought before, mostly because she had been too upset after their conversation, but as much as he had been trying to hide it with his sneer and taunts, he had seemed really intent on helping her.

If she didn’t know any better she’d even say he had sounded almost desperate for it. ‘Why are you making this so difficult?’ his words had been. So what was he hoping to gain from this apart from a good laugh when he would leave her hanging? Could it be his way of looking for…a friend?

Parvati grimaced at the thought.

Though, she couldn’t deny that it seemed possible. Before, wherever he went Crabbe and Goyle had followed. Now one of them was dead and the other Merlin knows where after his father’s death in the Battle. Parvati hadn’t seen Malfoy interact with anyone, even from Slytherin, since they had returned to Hogwarts.

Why he had cared to return to school at all was a mystery to Parvati. There was no way he had not expected to be shunned by the others. But she would not feel pity for someone like Malfoy. He deserved this treatment, she was sure of it. For every insult and hallway curse, for his role in the war and Dumbledore’s death, it was a small price to pay. After everything he had done, how could he still believe that she would trust him?

Standing in his debt was the last thing she ever wanted to do. And yet she could not deny that he seemed to be her best (and only) option to reach her goal.

Her stomach was churning as she thought about what she was about to do. How disappointed would Lavender be when she found out about it? That Parvati had agreed to work with Draco Malfoy? Would it soften her anger when she knew she’d done it to help her? Parvati didn’t know.

What she knew however, was that she’d rather risk her friend’s ire than see her suffer through a full moon. She slowly collected her scrolls and notes in her arms before heading for Malfoy’s table.

Whatever he was reading must have been exceptionally captivating since he did not look up, even when she was standing right next to him. She used his lack of attention for one last deep breath before dropping her stack of notes and books on his table with a dull thud. Malfoy jumped in his seat.

“What the – oh,” a slow grin spread on his lips as he recognized Parvati.“Well, look what the cat dragged in – or should I say, the wolf? Have you finally realized that you need my help, Patil?”

“Shhh,” she warned while casting a look over her shoulder. The library wasn’t as empty as it had been on the weekend. Small groups of students had gathered to work on their ever-growing piles of homework.

“Rule number one,” she told him harshly. “keep your mouth shut if you want this to work. We don’t need the whole castle to know before we’ve even started.”

“That’s your way of asking for my help?” Malfoy said with an infuriatingly calm smile.

“I never asked for your help, Malfoy and I sure as hell won’t start now,” she hissed at him. “You offered and I accepted.”

“One way or another, you realized you needed my help, Patil. No need to be ashamed of that,” he smirked. “I am curious, though, to what do I owe this sudden change of heart?”

“I realized that Lavender is more important to me than my dignity,” she replied coolly.

“Ouch,” he smirked and put a hand to his chest. “Ever the charmer, Patil.”

“What do you expect in return, Malfoy?” Parvati refrained from commenting on his last remark.

“Like I told you before,” he rolled his eyes. “I am doing this for myself, not because I care about your friend, Patil. Neither do I have some big master plan.   
“Look, hardly anyone outside the staff knows about Brown’s … affliction. So then where would all eyes turn to would something happen at Hogwarts?”

“You”, Parvati realized. Of course, should anything bad happen at Hogwarts, Malfoy would be the first to be blamed. Then again, not without reason.

But in the end, she could understand that he wanted to steer clear of any trouble. And yet, something didn’t quite fit right. Even Parvati, a true worrier at heart, believed it to be highly unlikely for Lavender to harm anyone during next full moon. Lupin had gone seven years without the Wolfsbane Potion, so Lavender would manage one night, right?

With the probability being that slim, why was Malfoy so worried? And wasn’t it more his style - should something indeed go wrong with him taking the blame – to simply tell the public about Lavender’s secret and get off the hook? As he had said, he did not care about Lavender. So why even help Parvati in the first place? Why undergo all this effort to make a potion for a girl he did not care about?

“Got it on the first try,” Malfoy pulled her out of her thoughts.

She nodded slowly, still contemplating her questions.

“Are you in or what?” He asked impatiently, offering her his hand. Parvati studied him for another moment. Doubts or not, she knew what her answer would be. She reached across the table, clasping his hand.

“I’m in.”

 

~ ** ~

 

Parvati could not deny (as much as she’d like to) that having Malfoy with her finally brought some much desired progress. They went through the recipe several times to get Malfoy accustomed with it. Though before they could truly move on to the main body of the instructions, they had to sort out the ingredients first. They agreed that they should be able to nick some of them, like Sopophorous Beans and Hawthorn strands, from the students’ pantry without raising too many suspicions. They were common enough to not even make a dent into the shared provisions. Malfoy jotted a small note down next to the particular ingredients before moving on to the next one. That was when their luck ended.

“I do not believe they are handing out Aconite, though” Malfoy tapped against on the word with a pale finger. Parvati had to agree. The plant had been causing her a headache since day one. She had come up with a few ideas but none of them were ideal.

“I know, no way they offer such a rare plant in the communal pantry. I guess we could give Pippin’s Potions a try. His prices will be astronomic, though,” she chewed on her lower lip in thought. “I reckon…we could give the Forbidden Forest a try? The Encyclopaedia Herbarum says Aconite is only found in wild places. And, what’s wild if not the bloody Forbidden Forest, so –“

“Patil, I won’t set a foot in that fucking forest,” Malfoy interrupted her resolutely.

Parvati stared at him in surprise. He was alright with brewing an illegal potion right under their teachers’ noses but not with sneaking of into the woods? Was he…scared? The idea was so comical, a former Death Eater fearing the Forbidden Forest, that she had trouble fighting off a grin.

“You did say you were going to help me with the potion,” Parvati pointed out, just to taunt him a little further.

“I didn’t say I would be risking my fucking life for it. I’ve had my share of that Forest, thank you very much,” he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Listen, Patil, I’m going to pay for it alright?”

Before she could reply, he jotted down _J. Pippin’s Potions_ in the orderly handwriting of his and went on reading.

Parvati stared at him.   
Helping her was one thing, but actually paying for the most expensive ingredient on their list? Whatever Malfoy was hoping to achieve, he was intent on succeeding. After a few seconds of silence, he looked back up and rolled his eyes.

“Yes, Patil, I can be a nice person if I want to. Can we move on now?”   
Parvati frowned some more but nodded.

“The Asphodel has to be picked on a new moon,” Malfoy continued. “When’s the next one?”

“The 20th,” she replied without having to think. She had checked the date repeatedly as to not make any mistakes.

“It has to be dried and boiled for several days before we can use it in the potion, though.” Malfoy scanned the instructions again. “Two days of drying, three of boiling. Meaning, the earliest we can start brewing will be on the 25th,” Malfoy frowned. “Belby’s instructions predispose three days for brewing.”

“I know, we’re cutting way too fucking close,” Parvati agreed. Lavender needed the potion on the 29th; they’d finish it – assuming everything went well – on the 28th. They had one day to spare. “No pressure,” Parvati said with forced ease.

“We will also have to charm the hell out of the room we will be brewing in, so that we’ll be able to keep this a secret for an entire week.” Malfoy nodded. “A room which we still have to find by the way.”

“Yeah, thanks for the reminder,” Parvati rolled her eyes. “It’s on my list.”

They spent the remainder of the evening brooding over Parvati’s notes and what felt like every potions book of the last decades that they could get their hands on. They had about a week left until New Moon.

Even though she wasn’t working alone now anymore, the deadline was just as daunting. Understand Belby’s complicated stirring sequences, collecting the ingredients, practicing the spells and finding a room to brew in in just one week seemed almost impossible. And only then they’d be able to start brewing.

Parvati loved working on potions but this recipe was unlike anything she had seen before. Just the slightest error in measurement, stirring motion or wand movement and the whole thing could turn blow up, literally. No wonder Slughorn didn’t trust himself to brew the potion. A nasty curse had hit his favoured hand during the battle and it was now afflicted with a slight but constant tremor. Brewing the Wolfsbane Potion despite his affliction would have been a disaster.

They only closed their books when Madame Pince’s sour look made it clear that curfew was drawing near. They hurried to clean their desk of any trace of their work.

Before he could leave the library however, she held him back.

“Just to make one last thing clear, Malfoy: We are not friends.”

Malfoy’s smile was a sharp and wicked thing.

“Oh, Merlin, Patil, I wouldn’t dare to presume.”

 

~ *** ~

 

Parvati took her time as she made her way back to the Gryffindor common room.

She was lost in thoughts, trying to make sense of the events of the day. Not only had she given in to Malfoy’s proposition, she had spent the entire evening in his company without cursing him into the next century. It was bizarre.

What confused her even more was that his help had actually been useful. He had managed to make get some sense out of the intricate stirring sequences and had even offered, no decided to buy the Aconite they needed himself.

Last Parvati had known, its price was in the double digits. Merlin. What was Malfoy promising himself from helping her? What was making him desperate enough that he’d make such an effort? What was she missing?

“Are you going to stand here all night, or what?” A shrill voice ripped her out of her thoughts. Parvati stood in front of the Fat Lady’s portrait and judging from her impatient frown she had been for quite a while.

“I haven’t gotten all day, you know?” The Lady continued. “Other engagements await my presence.”

  
Parvati was quite sure that her ‘engagements’ consisted of wine dates with Violet and sharing gossip with the portraits situated next to the various broom closets across Hogwarts.

“It’s literally your job to sit here all day and wait for people to enter,” Parvati replied, not in the mood for the woman’s antics. “Porcupine Quill.”

The portrait was forced to swing open and – with the Fat Lady’s indignant response in the background – Parvati finally climbed through the hole.


End file.
